Narrow Escape
by Nightengale
Summary: Ginny narrowly escapes exposing her feelings to Hermione
1. Chapter 1

Ginny sat the kitchen table in the burrow reading a muggle novel her father had found at this sale muggles called a 'flea market.' What fleas had to do with selling old stuff, she did not know. It was called _Pride and Prejudice_ and so far it was alright. It just seemed rather long.

"Hey, Ginny."

Ginny turned to look behind her and saw Hermione descending the stairs. She swallowed slowly as she watched the way Hermione's skirt swished about her legs.

"Yeah?"

"You think you could help me?" She asked, reaching the bottom step.

Ginny dog-eared the page and closed the book. "With what?"

"I need to pick out something to wear. You brother is actually taking me out to dinner tonight."

Jealousy flared up in Ginny but she forced it down so it would not show in her cheeks. Of all the people in the world Hermione had to be dating her brother. It made her want to strangle both of them, hit them very hard in fact.

She hid behind Harry, of course, continuing to 'wait for him.' It's not that she didn't like Harry, she did. Kissing him was great, but she didn't pine for him like she did for Hermione. So, having to watch Hermione date her brother made a rage fill her that she sometimes had difficulty suppressing. It didn't seem fair somehow. She had red hair too after all and was much more understanding than her brother.

"He's taking you out to eat?" She forced herself to ask.

"I know! I was surprised to. I suppose he is maturing some."

Ginny nodded and stood up. "Sure, I'll help." She couldn't have refused if she'd wanted to.

They walked up the stairs to Ginny's room which Hermione was sharing for the duration of her stay. Ginny's mother wouldn't hear about Hermione and Ron staying in the same room. Granted this sometimes made things rather difficult for Ginny. Luckily she had a single bed so Hermione used the futon. Entering the room Hermione opened her trunk that was in the corner and started pulling things out. She handed them all back to Ginny then stood up.

"I think one of these but I don't know."

Ginny laid them down on the bed. There was a yellow sun dress with light red flowers, a light blue sweater with a plaid skirt, black pants and a white floral blouse, and simple a blue dress with thin straps. Ginny sighed deeply.

"So?" Hermione said. "What do you think?"

Ginny felt a pain in her middle but smiled back at Hermione. "You know they will all look good on you."

"That's not the point, of course. The point is what is right for a dinner date."

She laughed. "You're asking me?"

Hermione fixed her with a gaze. "Don't get all Weasley on me. You've dated plenty."

Ginny only nodded, fingering the sun dress.

"I think the black pants are probably too stuffy." Hermione said picking them up.

"Because you are never stuffy."

Hermione scowled and carried the offending pants and shirt back to her trunk folding them nicely. Walking back she stood beside Ginny resting her chin on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny's knees suddenly felt weak.

'I have to leave…' she thought.

"You think a dress would be too formal?" Hermione asked.

"No…" Ginny found herself saying.

"I'll try them on then." She said, moving away from Ginny.

Heat rushed to Ginny's face. "No you don't-"

But Hermione was already removing her shirt and Ginny could not remove her eyes. Hermione's back was perfectly white but for the pink clasp of her bra. The straps held tight to her skin making slight indentations. Ginny found herself wanting to move the straps off of Hermione's shoulders. Her lips tingled to kiss the bare skin. Then Hermione turned to face Ginny, sun dress in hand. Ginny looked down at the ground, her face very red.

"Could you help me?"

"Uh…" Ginny knew if she raised her arms they would shake.

"Oh, never mind, I've got it."

Ginny looked up again and saw Hermione was wearing the yellow sundress. She stepped out of her pants and twirled around.

"Well?" Hermione said.

"Oh, Hermione." Ginny said, her voice thick, before she could stop herself.

Hermione's forehead crinkled. "What? Does it look bad?"

Ginny slowly shook her head. "Oh, no…" she could barely speak and couldn't move for fear of what she might do. "No, you look beautiful."

The other girl gave her a funny look and Ginny's hands flew to her face. What was she doing?

"I just remembered!" Ginny said rashly. "I told mum I would chop up the vegetables for dinner!"

"What?" Hermione said.

"I better go do that!"

Then she turned and nearly ran from the room, limbs weak and shaky. She pushed off the walls and stumbled slightly down the stairs. Reaching the kitchen she nearly fell against the sink, leaning all her weight against it, elbows locked. She panted and felt tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe herself. It had been close, far too close.

Why did she have to feel like this?


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny had fallen asleep in the chair, she didn't know what time but now as the backdoor in the kitchen closed with a muffled bang she stirred. Blinking rapidly Ginny sat up straighter in the cushioned chair. She was disoriented a minute before she realized she was at the Burrow in the living room. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen, two of them. Getting out of the chair Ginny moved to the edge of the doorway so she could not be seen.

'It sounds like…' she thought then stopped herself.

It was Hermione and Ron back from their date. Ginny looked at the wall, remembered which clock that was then looked in the corner at the real time. It was nearly two in the morning. Why were they back so late?

"Quiet Ron!" She heard Hermione hiss. "You're going to wake- stop it." She giggled.

"Don't worry, they have to sleep through the ghoul they won't hear us."

She giggled again and Ginny heard muffled sounds. She heard them bump against the table in the kitchen, something metal rattled.

'I don't want to hear this…' Ginny though franticly, feeling her stomach churn. 'I can't hear this, I can't take this.'

She didn't know how to escape. The only way out of the living room was through the kitchen.

"Ron…" Hermione said softly, her tone different.

Ron whispered something Ginny could not hear. Hermione's very female voice laughed again only this time in a lustful manner.

"Oh no…" Ginny barely said, her hand over her mouth.

Her heart was pounding and it felt like wind was rushing by her ears. This could not be happening. She had to get out of there somehow. She could not listen to her brother whispering and touching the object of her desire. In her head she could see all too clearly Ron's arms around Hermione's body, the two of them pressed against each other. Ginny felt herself gag at the thought and she worried she might actually throw up on the floor.

"Oh…. Ron…."

Hermione sounded so wonderful. She sounded unguarded and breathless in a way that Ginny never heard. Ginny wanted to be the one making those sounds but it wasn't her. Her brother was touching Hermione. Ginny was shaking. She had to get out.

"Ow!"

A crash and a yelp made Ginny jump in surprise and hit her head against the hanging shelf above her.

She couldn't help but cry out and hold a hand against her temble.

"Ron!" Hermione said, louder than she had been.

"Oh shite…." Ron was saying.

It sounded to Ginny like they had knocked over the table.

"My ars-" Ron started.

"Quiet!" Hermione hissed.

It was suddenly silent. All three of them were holding their breath. Now could be the time for Ginny to get away. Would someone come down and she could escape? The whole house seemed to be waiting but nothing stirred.

"I can't believe no one woke up…" Hermione said with a slight scoff.

"Oh, I bet they did and are just waiting for us to come up so they can laugh." Ron muttered.

"Really, Ron." Hermione chided him in her professor voice.

"Fuck…" Ginny muttered.

Why did she have to fall asleep downstairs?

Suddenly Ginny decided to be daring and peeked around the edge of the door frame. The table had been pushed back against the sink and on the floor were Ron and Hermione. Hermione was on her knees leaning over Ron, checking the side of his head. Ginny could see that Hermione's top was mostly unbuttoned, revealing the pale curve of cleavage coming out of a light pink bra.

Ginny felt a twitch in her and she wiped her head back around into the living room so fast her head banged against the wall.

"Did you hear that?" Hermione said, a second after.

'Oh fuck oh fuckfuckfuckshitefuck!' Ginny thought and she looked frantically around.

There was a window against the far wall. Without even thinking Ginny bolted over to the wall, wrenched the latch open, pushed the window up and climbed out slamming it closed behind her in one motion. Hitting the ground hard the first thing Ginny noticed was that she had no shoes on and the second was that it had rained while she was asleep. Slipping in the grass Ginny fell catching herself just in time with her hands. Cursing she hoped up to her feet and ran along the edge of the house, stopping just around the corner and dropping to her knees.

'I just climbed out the window out of my own house…' Ginny thought, panting. 'I just climbed out the damn window…'

For awhile Ginny just sat listening while her breathed in and out. She didn't hear anyone open the window on the other side of the house; there were only night sounds around. Looking down at her hands now Ginny saw scratches on her palm. Hopefully her pants had protected her knees but it didn't feel like it.

Why did she keep running like this? Why couldn't she just come out and laugh at them for getting caught, have a nice joke about it? Why did she have to feel this longing to be the one touching Hermione not Ron? She had wanted to be the one on the floor underneath Hermione's inspection. Ginny wanted to be the one that kissed Hermione and made her moan. She wanted to feel Hermione's hand on her breasts, her legs, her…

Ginny shook her head sharply. Hermione was dating her brother and that was it. She had to stop being ridiculous like this.

Standing up Ginny wiped her hands on the back of her pants. Going to the back of the house Ginny found the rope ladder that Fred and George had used to sneak out before they could get to their brooms. She pulled the string hidden in the branches of the tree that released it. She climbed up and into the twins' old room.

Once back in her own room Ginny sat on her bed staring at the wall. She couldn't hear Hermione and Ron downstairs. Nonetheless as glad as she was to be away a twisted part in her head said, 'go down and listen.'


	3. Chapter 3

It was July now and Harry had come to join them at The Burrow. At first things had been awkward between Harry and Ginny. She definitely still cared for him. In her head she could see a future and a life with him, a happy one. She knew that he still cared for her too but he was afraid. He wanted to protect her, she knew that. Even though they had talked about it before and Ginny agreed it was still strange for the two of them to be around each other.

However, Ginny was a woman of action when she wanted to be. Thus, after about a week of feeling weird and not knowing what to say Ginny sat Harry down and they had a little talk. They had sat in Ginny's room, hands intertwined and talked about how they didn't want to feel this way. Harry had talked mostly and at first it had been about the two of them but it changed into his worry and fear over Voldemort and being a hero. Through the course of the conversation the awkwardness melted away and Ginny realized how it didn't matter how either of them felt. The thing which would control Harry's life until it was over was the war and hearing him talk made Ginny feel perfectly fine with it. She didn't want Harry to be afraid but she knew that he was capable of handling it, especially with Ron, Hermione and herself being there for him. They both said they wanted to be with each other but they could wait. Ginny failed to mention, of course, her growing desire for a certain bushy haired friend of theirs.

After that the tension was gone and it was just another happy summer at the Weasley house. Mostly.

Hermione was still staying in Ginny's room and now Harry was staying in Ron's so Hermione was in Ginny's room every night. Hermione had snuck upstairs and spent some nights in Ron's room before so Ginny had been given a few nights of peace. She didn't think that Hermione and Ron were having sex but that wasn't the point. The point was that every night Ginny fell asleep after talking to Hermione and listening to her breathe on the floor right beside her.

"Hey, Gin."

Ginny looked up from her cereal at Ron one morning about the middle of the month. Harry was sitting beside her twirling his spoon around in his hand.

"Can you make eggs?"

"What?" she scoffed.

"Please. You know I can't make food for me life." He pouted at her.

She only rolled her eyes. Harry laughed and stood up

"I can."

"But…. Oh, ok." Ron grinned at Harry. "So, you get to be the mom today then?"

"Shut up, you arse."

Hermione came in the room and raised an eyebrow at Ron.

"Making Harry make you breakfast?"

Ginny snorted into her cereal, splashing milk.

"He offered!"

"Is that so?" Hermione said, sitting beside Ginny who snorted again.

Ron just sighed. Harry turned to look at them.

"I _can_ cook you know."

"I know." Hermione said, leaning over Ginny to grab an apple out of the bowl on the table.

Ginny's spoon paused halfway to her mouth as Hermione's leg pressed against hers and Hermione's chest came perilously close to her hand. Blinking rapidly, Ginny put the spoon in her mouth and was very careful to swallow and not choke. It was only breakfast and already Ginny wanted to grab Hermione.

The eggs in the pan were making sizzling type noises as Harry added cheese and salt. Ron was standing next to him, watching.

"So," Hermione began. "What are we going to do today?"

'Throw you down and…' Ginny thought.

Ron shrugged, taking the plate of eggs Harry offered him. They both turned around to face the girls while leaning against the counter. Harry ate his eggs out of the pan with a fork.

"Well, we can't just sit around here all day. It's too nice outside." Hermione said.

"We have windows. Don't need to go anywhere." Ron said, gulping down some more eggs.

"Really, Ron." Hermione replied in a withering tone.

"Yeah, really Ron." Harry mocked.

Ginny smiled and looked at Hermione. She looked side long at Ginny and rolled her eyes. Ginny's smile only widened. Somehow the older girl always managed to look so beautiful in the morning. Ginny especially liked it when Hermione put her hair up in a messy bun because she didn't feel like really making it look nice yet. There were always a few strands that refused to cooperate and fell down into her eyes. Ginny liked how the wavy brown snippets of hair framed her face.

She realized she was staring and averted her eyes. Her cereal was gone, nothing to do.

"Let's go on a picnic!" Hermione said suddenly.

"In the woods?" Ron asked.

"Yes, it's such a nice day!"

Harry and Ron looked at each other then back at Hermione. There was a staring contest for a moment and Ginny looked between the two factions wondering who would crack first.

"We could go swimming too?" Hermione said with a shrug.

The eyes of the boys widened a little and they both nodded.

"Great idea." Harry said.

"Yeah, great, great."

"Let's go!"

"Yeah, now."

"Ok, boys." Ginny said. "Let's relax a little."

Ginny said this while she did a dance in her head at the thought of Hermione in a bathing suit. Then the dancing figure in her head stopped in worry over how she would behave. Fuck, she had problems. Lucky that there was a pond behind their house in the woods that her parents kept clean with some charm her mother found in Witch Weekly.

"Alright then, testosterone crazy boys, we'll go swimming too." Hermione said as she stood up and headed up stairs.

An hour later they were all walking through the grass and into the woods.

"It is so nice out!" Hermione was saying.

"A little bit sunny." Harry said from in front of them, a hand above his eyes.

"Too sunny for you, Potter?" Ron said, swinging the picnic basket into Harry.

Harry hit him in the shoulder. They pushed each other from side to side for a bit but stopped when Ron almost fell over and threatened the destruction of their lunch. After this episode Hermione took the basket from Ron and gave him the blanket instead. Ginny was distracted by the bathing suit and skirt combo which Hermione was sporting now. It wasn't a bikini but that was hardly the point. The point was that Hermione was wearing a beautiful skirt and form fitting bathing suit which would soon be wet.

"Ginny!"

Ginny blinked at Harry who had spoke and ran up to join them.

"Being antisocial?" He asked.

"No, that's your job." She retorted.

He just huffed at her. They were walking in a line now, Ginny on one end, Ron on the other, and Hermione and Harry in the middle. It felt like a scene from some sappy muggle movie in Ginny's head.

The pond came into sight and Ron ran ahead shouting at them.

"Last one in is a Malfoy!"

"You bugger!" Harry shouted and sprinted after.

Hermione and Ginny just kept walking normally, now side by side. Ginny felt a smile grow over her face. She turned her head slightly to look at Hermione. The sun only made her look better. In summer blond highlights would come out ever so slightly in her hair and she always smiled more. With the boys far ahead it almost felt as if Ginny and Hermione were alone. A sudden urge came over Ginny. What would happen if she told Hermione how she felt?

She stopped suddenly and gripped her towel against her chest. Hermione stopped a bit ahead and looked back at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Ginny suddenly felt more awkward that she ever had in her life. Why was telling someone you were attracted to them so hard? She'd known Hermione for awhile now. She knew Hermione wouldn't completely shun her and never talk to her again. Hermione wouldn't hurt her or run away. Yet Ginny couldn't move her mouth or feet. It was the simple fact that if Ginny said something then Hermione would know. If she told Hermione all the things she thought, all the glances she stole then it wouldn't be the same. Then Hermione would know and that wasn't something Ginny could take back. It would always be there. Ginny had one small chance for the possibility of Hermione returning her affections and a million other chances for awkwardness, silence, and growing apart. Would it make things better if Ginny said something or worse?

"Ginny?" Hermione said again, walking back until she was standing right in front of Ginny, blocking the sun. She put a hand on Ginny's face. "Are you ok? You look a little off."

Ginny blinked rapidly as she looked up at Hermione. She was just a little taller than Ginny but right then Ginny felt like she was 12 years old again. She was just a little love sick girl who didn't know what to say.

"Um… yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Hermione said.

'No,' Ginny thought. 'No, I'm not.'

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's nothing."

Hermione smiled and took Ginny's hand. "Ok, let's go."

They skipped along to the pond and Ginny felt like crying.


	4. Chapter 4

It was August 21st when Ginny decided if she didn't tell Hermione now she never would. If she did not tell Hermione this summer while she was staying at the Burrow how she felt then the time would pass. Hermione was dating Ron now and their relationship would only grow closer as time went on. If Ginny did not try now it would be too late to make any difference.

Then again, Ginny wasn't sure if she even wanted to tell Hermione. Did she want to break the two of them up? Did she want to put herself on the line and risk her friendship with Hermione? Did she think it would make a difference if she did?

Days passed and Ginny felt tenser and tenser, chances passed by like leaves Ginny failed to catch because she didn't reach out far enough.

Once when they were in the kitchen while they had been cleaning up dinner Hermione started talking about Harry.

"I worry about him." She said. "He thinks he needs to take the whole weight of this on himself, like we can't help him at all."

"It's his hero complex." Ginny said.

Hermione had given one of her 'you know it's not that simple' looks.

"Well, he wants to save people. It's in his nature." Ginny insisted, scrubbing at the plate in her hands harder.

Hermione sighed. "Well, he needs to lean on the people who love him. Like you, you love him."

Right then Ginny had looked up. Hermione's hair looked so dark in the evening light, the setting sun glowing in her hair. Ginny had wanted to tell Hermione that she loved her more, that she liked Harry a lot but Hermione was the one that she really loved.

"Ron is his best friend, and so am I but he's afraid we'll get hurt."

The moment passed and Ginny felt herself looking back at it wishing she had jumped in while it had been there. But it was gone.

"Yes, we got hurt before but so did he." Hermione went on.

Looking down at the plate in her hands, Ginny grit her teeth.

As the days slowly passed Ginny wondered just how long she could last. How long in her life would she be able to go on looking at Hermione? How long would she last as the girl Harry would date if he wasn't the wizarding world's savior? She began to think crazy things like throwing herself at Hermione's feet or just flat out kissing her. She also thought depressing things about being alone all her life or never being able to get over Hermione.

Another time Hermione had flopped down beside Ginny on the couch and rested her head on Ginny's shoulder.

"I can't wait for school to start!"

Feeling the heat of Hermione's face on her skin Ginny couldn't speak. Somehow she managed to control her breathing at least.

"I've finished reading the charms book for next year and it's so fascinating!"

"Uh huh…" was all Ginny could manage.

"It'll also be nice to get away from so much testosterone!" She laughed. "I can't believe you've lived with this many brothers all your life!"

Ginny managed a shaky grin as Hermione started playing with the fabric of Ginny's skirt in an absent manner. She might not have even been aware she was doing it but Ginny was very much aware.

"Still, I'm glad you're here Ginny. I don't know what I would have done this summer without you."

'NOW!' a voice in Ginny's head screamed. "Do it now!'

A shiver ran through her body and Ginny opened her mouth, one second behind Hermione.

"But I am really glad I got to spend the whole summer with Ron too. It's nice to be with him outside of Hogwarts. As much as I like classes its good to focus on just us."

She sighed happily and Ginny shut her mouth. Tears threatened to fill her eyes and she gently pushed Hermione off her shoulder saying she had something to do. Walking out side she leaned against the side of the house and cried. She couldn't believe she was breaking down like this.

On August 28th Ginny finally did it.

They were both alone in the kitchen. Everyone else had gone to bed but the two of them had stayed up trying to make Crookshanks come inside for the night. Hermione was at the back door yelling at the cat which could be seen at the edge of their yard.

"Come on back! I don't want to stand here all night." She called.

Blood was rushing in Ginny's ears as she stood behind Hermione. She had to tell her now. She would have no other chance. Placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder Ginny slowly turned her around. Hermione looked at her with beautiful, questioning eyes.

"Um… Her… Hermione?" Ginny started. "I have something to tell you."

"Ok." Hermione said, looking straight at her.

There was no suspicion or worry in her look at all. Ginny realized then that Hermione really trusted her. Looking at her long face framed by bushy hair the fear melted out of Ginny. This was Hermione and what ever happened would happen.

"I should have told you this a long time ago, maybe it would have been easier then but I have to tell you. It's not fair for me not to tell you. I know you are dating my brother and I think you probably love him. I'm not trying to take you away from him I'm just telling you. I have to tell you because you deserve to know and I have to get it out." She took a breath. "I like you, Hermione and not in a friend way. I like the way you walk, how you look in your sun dresses, the way your hair tries to take over your face sometimes, your lips, how you can be so critical and rigid to decorum but also so rash and daring. I don't just like you, no, I love you Hermione. And that's it."

Ginny couldn't believe she said it all but she had. The two girls stared at each other now in silence. Somehow Ginny managed to hold Hermione's gaze. At first she just stared in the way she did when she was thinking very hard. When Ginny had first started talking Hermione's eyes had widened in surprise then they became thoughtful.

"Ginny…" she said. "I… I didn't know."

"I know." Ginny replied. "I'm sorry if this makes things awkward now, but… I had to."

The other girl nodded and put her had on the door frame. Ginny didn't know if it was to steady herself or not.

"Maybe telling you will help me get over it." Ginny forced out even though she didn't believe it.

Hermione looked away at the dark room then back to Ginny.

"Ginny, I'm sorry. I love Ron."

Ginny hadn't been expecting a proclamation of love or a passionate kiss but hearing those words made the world swim before her eyes. She wanted to fall over, lie on the floor and disappear into it. She wanted to run away and cry and never see either of them again. She hadn't been expecting to win Hermione but perhaps she had hoped for it. Swallowing hard Ginny nodded realizing that the tears were trying to escape.

"I really am sorry Ginny." Hermione said. "I do care for you, you're a great friend and you know that, but… I like Ron, I want to date Ron."

"I know…" Ginny somehow said, a slight quiver to her words. "I didn't expect you to change because I said that."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said again.

"You can stop saying that." Ginny said with a bit of a laugh.

The elder girl smiled and nodded. She glanced down as Crookshanks came in the door. The cat looked up at them briefly then bounded into the house with his tail in the air. They both watched him go then looked back to each other.

"Well," said Hermione. "I guess I'll just go up to bed then."

Ginny nodded and Hermione walked past her through the kitchen.

"Are you coming?" She asked as she reached the foot of the stairs.

Without turning around Ginny answered, "I'll be up later."

She listened to Hermione's feet retreat up the stairs. As soon as she heard the door click upstairs Ginny's legs gave way and she slumped to the floor. She let herself fall all the way so she was lying on her back on the cool floor.

She'd done it. She'd told Hermione that she loved her. Now Ginny was alone on the floor. Tears leaked silently out of her eyes into paths down the edge of her face and to the floor. The ceiling was dark with a few cracks for Ginny to stare at. Things were going to be different now.

Ginny didn't know if she had done the right thing but it was too late now.

The End


End file.
